The present invention relates to an arrangement for supplying consumers, particularly mobile consumers, with pressure fluids.
Supply of mobile consumers with pressure fluids, especially in underground excavations, whether it is a pressure air or a hydraulic liquid, is always connected with difficulties when the action radius of the consumer is relatively great. One possibility of supplying includes, for example, the introduction of pressure storages forming energy reservoirs. Depending upon the storage volume and air consumption, the consumer can have a respective active region within a predetermined action time. After this, the storage must be changed or recharged with respective time consumption in stationary positions. In addition to these disadvantages, there is also another disadvantage that for a substantially satisfactory action radius, a storage with a great volume must be provided for the consumer, so that its transportation capacity is naturally limited.
As long as the action radius of a consumer is limited, the utilization of flexible dragging conduits can be taken into consideration. There is here, however, the danger that especially with long dragging conduits and poor operational conditions, the dragging conduits are damaged or completely destroyed, which leads to stoppage of an operation. If the action region of the consumer must be expanded, the dragging conduits must be uncoupled. Such an exchange on situ is however always connected with high expenses for the uncoupling of the dragging conduits and subsequent coupling of them.
Moreover, there are many rail systems which provide for a possibility to supply an air consumer with energy over the length of the rail region. These systems have certain problems at the connection points of the rail portions to form the rail track in the sense of leakage losses or factual situations so that no energy withdrawal is here possible. As a result of this, the used length of these systems is also limited.
The latter described air rail systems includes such a system in which a plurality of nipples is provided at distances from one another on a rail track, and a withdrawing carriage is displaceable on the rail track from one nipple to the other. The nipples are formed as magnet valves. When a withdrawal carriage is located at the respective nipple, the permanent magnet provided in the withdrawing carriage is placed in such position that the magnet valve in the rail track is opened. In this withdrawing position, the withdrawing carriage cannot move. On the other hand, no air withdrawal is possible when the withdrawing carriage is located between two nipples. Moreover, the positioning of the withdrawing carriage requires a manual actuation for a withdrawing conduit. An automatic continuous energy withdrawal of a great action radius is not possible here.